Two men with a bag of counterfeit $100 bills who were trying to elude police couldn't run fast enough, police say.

Lazarus Armstead, 27, and Brandon Neville Smith, 33, were arrested Monday near the border after a brief chase that started by car and ended on foot, authorities said.

During the foot chase, Smith allegedly dropped a bag that was later found to have $43,000 in counterfeit $100 bills. Armstead allegedly was carrying $400 in counterfeit bills and $300 in legitimate $100 bills.

Investigators with the Cameron County District Attorney's Office in Brownsville tried to stop the men after Armstead failed to signal a lane change as the men were heading west on FM 802 in a 2014 black Lincoln MKX.

The investigators, who are part of the district attorney's Special Investigations Unit, said they turned on their emergency lights, but the Lincoln with North Carolina plates kept going.

Finally, Armstead allegedly stopped at the Dana Road intersection, where Smith hopped out and ran into an empty field. An investigator pursued and caught him, according to a news release from the district attorney's office.

As another investigator approached the vehicle, the driver allegedly took off with authorities in pursuit at 70 mph. He got away but was spotted later on FM 106 in Harlingen by a Cameron County deputy constable, officials said. He kept driving with deputies from the constable's and sheriff's office in pursuit.

About a mile past Texas 177, he stopped, got out and tried to escape on foot. Deputies soon caught him, the release said.

Armstead was charged with evading arrest by car and on foot and forgery. Smith was charged with evading arrest on foot and forgery. Both were jailed at the Carrizales-Rucker Detention Center in Olmito, according to the news release.